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Ensign Ro
'' |image= |series= |production=40275-203 |producer(s)= |story=Rick Berman and Michael Piller |script=Michael Piller |director=Les Landau |imdbref=tt0708708 |guests=Michelle Forbes as Ro Laren, Scott Marlowe as Keeve Falor, Frank Collison as Dolak, Jeffrey Hayenga as Orta, Harley Venton as Collins, Ken Thorley as Mot, Cliff Potts as Kennelly, Whoopi Goldberg as Guinan, Majel Barrett as Computer voice |previous_production=Darmok |next_production=Silicon Avatar |episode=TNG E03 |airdate=7 October 1991 |previous_release=Darmok |next_release=Silicon Avatar |story_date(s)=Stardate 45076.3 |previous_story=Darmok |next_story=Silicon Avatar }} =Summary= The Solarion Four settlement is destroyed, and the Bajorans claim responsibility. The world of Bajor was annexed by the Cardassians generations ago, and the Bajorans have been refugees ever since, and apparently some of them are using terrorism to draw attention from the United Federation of Planets. Picard meets with Admiral Kennelly, who tells him that the Bajoran responsible is a terrorist named Orta. Picard's mission is to find Orta, and to send him back to the Bajoran settlement camps where he can do less damage. Kennelly assigns a controversial person to assist Picard: Starfleet Ensign Ro Laren, a Bajoran whose reputation is very poor. Kennelly insists she can help, and she comes aboard the Enterprise. Despite a difficult attitude, Ro works with the crew to locate Orta. Ultimately, they head to the third moon of Vallor One where they believe he is based. Meanwhile, Ro receives a secret communication from Admiral Kennelly and tells him all is going according to plan. The next day, the Away Team prepares to beam down, but discover Ensign Ro had preempted them by beaming down six hours ago. They follow her, and are promptly captured by Orta and his people. Orta, who was disfigured by Cardassian torture, tells them that he felt abducting them was necessary, and says that the Bajorans were not responsible for the attack. Picard finds himself inclined to believe Orta, but confines Ro to quarters for her unauthorized beam down. Guinan, who has befriended Ro, goes to see Ro, and after learning there is more to what is going on that meets the eye, convinces Ro to talk to Picard. Ro reveals that she is on a secret mission by Kennelly to offer Orta Federation weapons in exchange for returning to the camps. Given her experiences, she no longer knows what to do or whom to trust. Picard decides that the best course might be to actually take Orta back to the camps, and see what occurs. As the Enterprise escorts a Bajoran cruiser to the camp, however, two Cardassian ships cross the border and demand the Enterprise leave the ship to them. Picard initially refuses, and the Cardassians give him an hour to reconsider. Kennelly, far from helping, insists that the Cardassian treaty is the more important issue and orders Picard to withdraw. Picard withdraws, and the Bajoran cruiser is destroyed. However, suspecting a chain of events like this might occur, Picard had ensured no one was aboard, and had the ship operated remotely. Picard informs Kennelly that the Bajoran ships are so old and obsolete that they were incapable of attacking the Solarion Four settlement, and suggests that the Cardassians staged everything, hoping to find someone like Kennelly, naive enough to help them solve their problems. With the mystery solved and the mission accomplished, Ro accepts Picard's offer to remain in Starfleet and join the Enterprise crew. =Errors and Explanations= Plot Oversights # Riker grousing about Ro's earring, when Worf is allowed to wear his baldric/sash. Worf has permission to wear the sash, but Ro doesn't gain permission for the earring until the end of the episode. # Why does Ro wear her earring on her left ear, when other Bajorans wear it on the right? Keith Alan Morgan (Kmorgan) on Wednesday, April 10, 2002 - 5:24 am: (Nit Central) On Earth some Christian groups make the sign of the cross by moving their hands up, down, left to right, while others do it up, down, right to left. Perhaps Ro belongs to a small group who believe the earring should go on the left ear instead of the right? # Orta's ship being destroyed in order to expose Kennelly's involvement. Orta probably realised it was better to lose a ship as opposed to losing his life, especially if the ship was old, and nearing the end of it's useful lifespan. Nit Central # Josh G. on Wednesday, February 27, 2002 - 1:17 pm: Does it really make sense for Renassiance Man Picard, someone whose main hobby is archaeology, would not be aware of Bajoran word order for personal names? Surely it would have been part of whatever briefing he got from Starfleet prior to the mission. This could be due to a lack of knowledge on the part of whoever prepared the info for the briefing. # Keith Alan Morgan (Kmorgan) on Wednesday, April 10, 2002 - 5:24 am: On page 286 of the NextGen Guide, Phil wondered why the Cardassians want to kill Orta, since his ships don't have warp capability. 1. They could want to execute him for past crimes, not possible future ones. 2. Maybe they don't know his ships lack warp drive? 3. Perhaps the Cardassians are just meanies? Knowing the Cardassians, probably a combination of all three! =Sources= Category:Episodes Category:The Next Generation